The federal government, on Friday, during a meeting with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) shifted grounds when it offered a total sum of N65 billion to Nigerian universities to address some of its demands. It also said the lecturers will now be paid their salary arrears on an older platform, different from the controversial IPPIS.
The money seeks to address the issue of earned allowances and ”revitalisation of universities”.
Giving a breakdown of the cash, the minister of labour, Chris Ngige, said the Accountant General of the Federation has offered to release N40 billion ”or in the alternative, N35 billion to be shared by all the registered trade unions in the universities after providing necessary evidence of having earned the allowance”.
“The FG reiterated that her offer of N40 billion or N35 billion, whichever is accepted by ASUU was for all the universities’ unions. ASUU had proposed that N40 billion be paid immediately for all unions,” he said.
He said while the initial sum will be for the earned allowance (EA), the balance of N25 billion or N30 billion will be made for the revitalisation of universities, he said.
